A summer tradition returns with Kelso Klassic

Fastpitch softball aficionados throughout Southeast Missouri have the chance to quench their appetites this weekend as the 31st annual Kelso Klassic begins today at the softball complex in Kelso.

Fourteen teams from three states will compete to decide this year's champion. Included in the field is last year's tournament champion, the Bloomington (Ill.) Stix, and Kelso Fastpitch, the tournament host.

According to Kelso Fastpitch assistant coach Jerry Wolsey, upwards of 3,000 fans attend the three-day tournament, which over the years has earned a reputation as one of the top fastpitch tournaments in the nation.

Wolsey credits the atmosphere in making the tournament unique.

"The fans really come out and support it," Wolsey said. "It's kind of a grassroots atmosphere. It's a good time for people to sit around and visit and watch good, competitive fastpitch softball.

"You ask around, and the players love coming to Kelso."

Not only will the tournament feature many of the top fastpitch teams from Missouri, Illinois and Kansas, it will feature several outstanding international players as well. Pitchers from New Zealand, Guatemala, the Czech Republic, Venezuela, Australia, Argentina and Canada dot the rosters of teams vying for the first-place trophy.

"Some of the best pitchers in the world have come through Kelso," Wolsey said, noting that the world's top-ranked hurler, Australia's Adam Folkard, pitched for the Bloomington entry that played in the tournament in 2004.

Some of the top talent scheduled to appear this weekend includes B.J. Hunhoff (Australia), who plays for Bloomington, and Eric Steinbeck, who led Black Gold of Hermann, Missouri, to a second-place finish last year. Hunhoff and Steinbeck shared MVP honors at last year's tournament.

Tony Buckley, a New Zealand native and former member of the Topeka (Kan.) Toros, looks forward to this tournament every year.

"Kelso is one of those small towns with a great crowd of people," said Buckley, 45, who will be pitching for Weezer's (Kansas City, Kansas) this year. "The ballpark is packed and it's a great atmosphere."

Buckley added he knows of several players sidelined with injuries who still want to come to the Klassic just because of the tournament's atmosphere and reputation.

"There's not many towns around where you can get locals out to the ball park," he said. "It's good competition."

Buckley is one of several international players who first came to the U.S. to develop his talent as a fastpitch player. Throughout the years, several players have traveled similar routes, with U.S. teams providing jobs and lodging for those seeking to play fastpich softball.

"It's an opportunity for them to get to a different part of the world and see how the game is played," Buckley said. "It's the perfect opportunity to come to America and play their game."

"These teams pay a fee for them to pitch and provide travel and meals," Worley added. "And [the players] have an income in order to play ball. It's a win-win for them."

Alongside the international flavor, the tournament features several outstanding U.S.-born players as well. The Clubhouse, from St. Louis, features two of the top U.S. pitchers in Terry Lester and Doug Middleton. And Bloomington's Jonathan Lynch, a graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School and current student assistant softball coach at the University of Missouri, was named to the second-team International Softball Congress world team as an outfielder in 2013.

Top teams appearing this year are the Toros, currently ranked 18th in the world, and the Stix.

"They play on the major level," Worley said. "They have a good chance to play on Sunday [for the championship]."

Other contenders include the Central Illinois Knights, of the North American Fastpitch Association, and the Pinckneyville (Illinois) Falcons, who are noted for their strong offense.

New teams to the field include Artisan Construction (Springfield, Missouri), Weezer's Fastpitch (Kansas City, Kansas), Bowen's Fastpitch (Bowen, Illinois) and Sibley Fastpitch (Sibley, Illinois). Bowen's Fastpitch was last year's NASA Class A champion.

Each team is guaranteed three games, which makes for a packed schedule.

"We've had to turn several teams away because we're limited to 14 teams," Worley said.

The winner of the Kelso Klassic will receive an automatic bid to the International Softball Congress World Championships, which will take place August 8 to 15 in South Bend, Indiana.